Slow Beer

Friday, December 31, 2010

SLOWBEER IN THE NEW YEAR

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all our loyal customers (& new ones too!) who have contributed to a great 2010. We will be back in 2011 with plenty of new beers & exciting ideas!

From the end of trade today we will be closed until 20th Jan 2011. As you know, slowbeer is quite a small operation, so its important for me to have a bit of a break & come back fresh early in the new year.

During this time we will be operating the website, so orders can still be placed & processed promptly. For other inquiries don’t hesitate to email: sales@slowbeer.com.au

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS - XMAS EDITION!

Keeping it short & sweet this week, as we are heading into the home stretch of the silly season, though amazingly enough there are still a heap of new & exciting brews walking through the door! Also & very quickly, we would like to thank all those who attended last weeks Xmas tasting sessions, we appreciate your support & hope it continues into next year, as we come up with some more weird & wonderful lineups to present.

XMAS TRADINGTomorrow (Thurs) 12-8pmXmas Eve (Fri) 10am-7pmFEATURE BEERSEpic & Dogfish Head Portamarillo 500ml $TBATruly an Epic collaboration & the first taste we have seen of anything like this locally. Brewed with the legendary Sam Caligone while he was out for NZ’s Beervana Fest & NZ Beer Awards, this brew stays true to the DFH mantra of using peculiar ingredients. Starting with a porter base, the guys made use of native (to NZ) tamarillos that have been grilled over Pohutakawa wood. The result is a smoky, roasty, fruity sort of brew. Props to two of craft beers craziest brewers!

Hargreaves Hill Phoenix 750ml $35.00This is actually the second batch of stock we have received, with the first lot disappearing very quickly. A US style imperial red ale brewed with plenty of specialty malts & copious amounts of simcoe hops, both in the boil & for dry hopping. Produced to celebrate the 1st year anniversary of the brewery’s relocation following the Black Saturday Bush Fires.

Bridge Rd Saison Printemps 750ml $TBAFollowing on from the somewhat recent de coing version of their very popular saison, this brew uses elderflower & blueberry in the brew. The result is a delightful looking beer with floral & lemon sherbet aromas, while the palate follows through with a nice finish of sweet-sour berries.

Arctic Fox Chocolate Stout 500ml $6.50This one arrived today with little fanfare, in actual fact I didn’t even know it was about until the guys mentioned it to me earlier this week, which is typical of the Fox guys. No need to drum up hype, just let the beer speak for itself. Though from what I hear, it has gotten a bit of a run at the showcase & at recent farmers markets. A solid 5.9% abv, this one has plenty of chocolate & coffee notes from the roasted malt, while the use of chocoalte in the brew provides a more overt milk chocolate character & a soft, smooth palate.

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

12 BEERS OF XMASDay 6 - Emersons (NZ) Pilsner 500ml $9.00Easily one of my favorite brews ever! Pilsners/lagers get a seriously bad wrap in the beer world, mainly because many of the super bland mass produced beers are (apparently) to this style. This one is oh so different. The use of kiwi grown saaz derivative hops produces a beautifully floral & fruity aroma with a cleansing spicy bitterness. Unbelievable balance & complexity despite being easy drinking, clean & crisp. Amazing in its own right but pairing with seafood is just as great.

Day 7 - Deus Brut des Flandres (BEL) 750ml $34.00Interesting sort of beer this one & sits in the bier de champagne psuedo-style. Brewed in Belgium as a strong pale ale (think duvel) then shipped off to France for cellaring, where it undergoes the methode champenoise, (yeast & sugar added for bottle fermentation, yeast removed, dosage added). In this case the dosage (sugar) includes the interesting addition of bergamot. The result is a beer that is exceptionally creamy & aromatic, with the bergamot adding an intense floral, citrus character. Indeed a superior replacement for the token bottle of bubbly on xmas day. Day 8 - Duchesse de Bourgogne (BEL) 250ml $6.50Very much a love-it or hate-it kind of beer. Hardcore Belgian sour freaks tend to find it too sweet, while general beer drinkers find it far too sour. Personally, I really like it. Certainly not too unlike those crazy lambics, this brew has a significant amount of lactic acidity picked up from the time spent ageing in old oak vessels. Conversely, the sweetness comes from the great degree of red malts (vienna & munich...I think) employed. The interpaly between the two elements manifests itself in a sweet-sour cherry/berry-like flavour disguise, with a touch of oak to boot. Enjoying this with turkey, as a replacement for cranberry sauce is the only way to go!Day 9 - Southern Tier (US) Creme Brulee 650ml $17.00Diabetics stop reading NOW! A word of warning, this beer is super sweet & as the name suggests a dessert beer if there ever was one! Brewed with lactose (milk sugar) & dark crystal malt giving this beer its rich sweetness, while the addition of vanilla beans attributes...well a vanilla character. Caramel, toffee, chocolate & vanilla. Absolutely delightful but share it with a few if you value your teeth filling-free! Next:Day 10 - 8 Wired (NZ) Big Smoke Porter 500ml $12.00

Saturday, December 18, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

We will be open right through until xmas & as such I thought we’d feature a different beer every day with festive inclinations.

Also be aware that we offer gift vouchers & a wide range of glassware for those struggling with present giving!

XMAS TRADING:MON-WED: 2-7PMTHU-SAT: 12-8PMSUN: 2-7PM

12 BEERS OF XMAS

Day 5 - Estrella Damm (SPA) Inedit 750ml $10.00

Created with the guidance of the team at the famed El Bulli restaurant. Very food friendly, styled as a belgian witbier. Brewed using coriander, orange peel & licorice as well as plenty of wheat means this beer is ideal as replacement to a fine champagne or pair with seafood on Christmas day. Ultimately quite light on the palate with a touch of citrus, spice & also a subtle sweetness, yet cleansing acidity on the finish.

Friday, December 17, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

We will be open right through until xmas & as such I thought we’d feature a different beer every day with festive inclinations.

Also be aware that we offer gift vouchers & a wide range of glassware for those struggling with present giving!

XMAS TRADING:MON-WED: 2-7PMTHU-SAT: 12-8PMSUN: 2-7PM

12 BEERS OF XMAS

Day 4 - Chatoe Rogue (USA) First Growth Creek Ale 650ml $15.00

Its becoming more & more evident that this oregon based producer are dead keen on diversification. Breweries, distilleries & growing their own proprietary hops & malt is all part of the rogue brand. This particular brew & others in the chatoe rogue range are 100% estate made, meaning their own malt, hops & in this case local cherries. Based very loosely on the belgian kriek style this brew has vibrant cherry notes as one would expect, as well as some nice doughy, biscuity malt to support. Certainly not as hardcore as your kriek lambics & in fairness it doesn't profess to be. What we have here is a really nice, uncomplicated kriek thats not too sweet or too tart & would pair brilliantly with xmas turkey.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

We will be open right through until xmas & as such I thought we’d feature a different beer every day with festive inclinations.

XMAS TRADING:MON-WED: 2-7PMTHU-SAT: 12-8PMSUN: 2-7PM

12 BEERS OF XMAS

Day 3 - Schlenkerla (GER) Rauchbier Marzen 500ml $6.00

To the uninitiated this may seem like an odd choice, just sounds like any other german beer right? Well, yes & no. The beer is somewhat of a Bamberg specialty & quite unique at that. Its peculiar character comes from the way in which the malt is dried. Beechwood logs are smoked, allowing the smoky (obviously!) & sweet character to permeate into the malt. The result is a beer that smells quite sweet & malty at first but has an interesting layer of camp fire smoke (not to be confused with smoky peat). This smoke character combined with the sweetness of the malt, almost brings about a glazed ham taste. Ultimately quite light on the palate but the rich meaty flavors may be off-putting to some. Having said that, this is a perfect accompaniment to Christmas ham. Try it, you won't be sorry!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

We will be open right through until xmas & as such I thought we’d feature a different beer every day with festive inclinations.

XMAS TRADING:MON-WED: 2-7PMTHU-SAT: 12-8PMSUN: 2-7PM

12 BEERS OF XMASDay 2: Eggenberg (AUT) Samichlaus

Claimstobe one of the strongest lager beers in the world, however given the recent exploits of Brewdog etc this one is a comparative lightweight, coming in at only 14% abv! Brewed once a year on December 6th, being the day of Saint Nicholas, this is styled as a german doppelbock. Super rich malt presence, bringing big honey & caramel sweetness, as well as plenty of stewed fruit notes. Has been described as the cognac of beers & really they aren't far wrong. A great Christmas day treat that would compliment even the richest desserts.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 12 DAYS OF XMAS!

From today, we will be open right through until xmas & as such I thought we’d feature a different beer every day with festive inclinations.

XMAS TRADING:MON-WED: 2-7PMTHU-SAT: 12-8PMSUN: 2-7PM

12 BEERS OF XMASDay 1: Hargreaves Hill (VIC) Phoenix 750ml $35.00I for one have been very eagerly anticipating this particular release. Imperial Red Ales are few & far between in this country & its great to see this hitting the shelves. Very much US inspired, with truckloads of Simcoe hops used, imparting a big fruity, resinous hop character. In keeping with the style there is also a rich malt backbone of caramel, toffee & butterscotch. The malt in conjunction with the hops also provide a lovely, slightly sweet marmalade character with bitter citrus rind. So how is this festive you ask? Obviously its red & perhaps most importantly it will pair beautifully with Christmas fare. Additionally, with only 350 individually numbered wax sealed bottles available, it would be more than appropriate for an xmas toast!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

SLOWBEER'S XMAS NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

Getting in earlier than usual, as we are gearing up for a big few weeks in the lead up to Christmas! Our festive tasting sessions are almost completely full, so get in quick if you are still keen. Additionally, the shelves are chock-full of brilliant beers, a few of my favorites being featured below. Lastly, we will be extending our trading days the next 2 weeks leading up to the big day. Starting Tues 14th we will be open every day until Christmas for all your beery needs!

FEATURE BEERSChouffe Houblon IPA Tripel 750ml $17.00What is the world coming to when a classic Belgian brewery decides to produce their own interpretation of an American interpretation of a Belgian IPA...confused?! Regardless of its origins or rationale, this is a cracker of a beer! As you can imagine it is big in hop bitterness, however as a departure from normal US IPAs, this utilizes more traditional hop varieties, resulting in a big earthy, spicy hop aroma & bitterness. Keeping with the Belgian style, that trademark yeast comes into play, accentuating the earthy, spicy character while adding a touch of citrus fruit. Absolute classic of a beer & perhaps one of my all time favs!Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blue 750ml $18.00Yet another one of my favorite brews, that can be exceptionally hard to get a hold of, purely for the fact that it is only brewed once a year. Describing this as big & rich would be a supreme understatement! Layers of rich caramel & toffee sweetness, with raisins, figs & a lovely fruit spice character on the finish. A meal & dessert beer rolled into one, that could easily rival any tokay or dessert wine. Enjoy it over Christmas or cellar well into the next few years.

NEW ARRIVALSRed Duck Burton Strong Bitter 330ml $5.50Its been a few years since we last saw this seasonal brew & it really speaks volumes of the brewery’s stylistic influence & approach. Very much a tribute to the home of pale ales, the water used in the brew is adjusted to match that of burton-on-trent, with a sulfate like mineral tang. Specialty malts are selected as the backbone of the brew, while the bitterness is actually relatively subdued (despite the name). A classic, classy brew indeed.

Red Duck Red Admiral 330ml $6.00Based on the celtic red ales, this brew is all about the malt. Rich in colour & flavour profile with notes of treacle, as well as plums, raisins & stewed fruits. Interestingly, the use of a relatively new US hop variety (glacier) provides plenty of aroma, however unlike most other US hops, is low in alpha acids (bitterness), which overall serves this beer very well.

Red Duck White Garden 330ml $6.00Super excited about this one, purely for the fact that it sounds like such an interesting brew. Apparently a hybrid of Belgian Witbier & Berliner Weisse styles with the addition of raspberry & rhubarb! The guys wanted to pay homage to the Berliner Weisse style, however produce an example that is a little more approachable & less sour, hence the Belgian witbier base. However, unlike a witbier, there are no spices or orange peel added, instead raspberry & rhubarb, of which the natural sugars & sweetness, disappear during fermentation. What we are left with is an appealing pinky-white ale, with vibrant fruit aroma & flavour but no sweetness, while there is a lightly tart acidity on the finish to cleanse the palate.

FILLING ON GROWLERSBREWDOG (SCO) Hardcore Imperial IPAThis one has been hotly anticipated the past few weeks & is being at tapped at seemingly a perfect time. This being a reincarnation of the previous hardcore, having won best Imperial IPA at the Beer World Cup earlier this year. Certainly no mean feat given the stiff competition in that particular category. As you’d expect this brew is brimming with high alpha US hop varieties, namely centennial, columbus & simcoe, both in the boil & to dry hop. Some lighter malts are employed to provide the slightest touch of counter balance, however this one is all about the hops! Big citrus & pine is the order of the day with a robust, bordering on aggressive hop bitterness. You’ve been warned!Filling from tomorrow &continuing until the keg is dry! $35 for the fill.Also, given the sheer demand for growler fills & the fact that we currently have no supply of actual growler bottles, we are working on offering temporary 2L PET bottles, enabling everyone to get fills of the tasty beers we offer! Temporary ones will hopefully be about 1 week away but we will keep you posted.

JOLLY CHRISTMAS TASTING – ALMOST FULL, LAST CHANCE!Something that isn't so heavily practiced here, however breweries the world over, tend to produce some very interesting & festive brews for the period & as such we will have a number of them on offer.

Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper – This Belgian style strong ale has all the bells & whistles, spiced with orange & coriander.Delirium Noel – One of the highly elusive brews from this crazy producer, its enjoyable for the bottle/label alone!St Feuillien Noel – Clearly Xmas beers are a Belgian thing, this abbey example has a touch of sweetness with dark fruit & spice.St Bernardus Kert – Their regular Abt 12 gets plenty plaudits & this is the Christmas version, yummy pudding in a glass!Chouffe N’ice – Apparently the wintery little gnome on the label is responsible for this delicious festive brew.Baladin Noel – Festive brew from this unique & at times peculiar producer. Chocolate & fruit spice goodness in liquid form!Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus – This exceedingly rich & malty lager, known as the cognac of beers, weighing in at a hefty 14% abv!Red Hill Christmas Ale – One of the few local breweries to get into the Christmas spirit, styled as a Belgian strong ale.Hunter Christmas Beer – Another local hopefully following the trend for dark spiced, festive brews.

When: BOTH Wednesday 15th December 7pm & Sunday 19th December 7pmCost: $30.00 to try ALL beers ($160 value!)+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any beer purchase that nightIF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS ASAP!

GLASSWAREChristoffel $7.00Hoegaarden Grand Cru $10.00La Chouffe $10.00Rodenbach $10.00De Dolle Oerbier $15.00Duvel Tulip $11.00Triple Karmelite $13.00Gouden Carolus $12.00Schneider Aventinus $12.00Orval $14.00FILLING ON GROWLERSBREWDOG (SCO) Hardcore Imperial IPAThis one has been hotly anticipated the past few weeks & is being at tapped at seemingly a perfect time. This being a reincarnation of the previous hardcore, having won best Imperial IPA at the Beer World Cup earlier this year. Certainly no mean feat given the stiff competition in that particular category. As you’d expect this brew is brimming with high alpha US hop varieties, namely centennial, columbus & simcoe, both in the boil & to dry hop. Some lighter malts are employed to provide the slightest touch of counter balance, however this one is all about the hops! Big citrus & pine is the order of the day with a robust, bordering on aggressive hop bitterness. You’ve been warned!Filling from tomorrow &continuing until the keg is dry! $35 for the fill.Also, given the sheer demand for growler fills & the fact that we currently have no supply of actual growler bottles, we are working on offering temporary 2L PET bottles, enabling everyone to get fills of the tasty beers we offer! Temporary ones will hopefully be about 2 weeks away but we will keep you posted.

JOLLY CHRISTMAS TASTING!Something that isn't so heavily practiced here, however breweries the world over, tend to produce some very interesting & festive brews for the period & as such we will have a number of them on offer.

Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper – This Belgian style strong ale has all the bells & whistles, spiced with orange & coriander.Delirium Noel – One of the highly elusive brews from this crazy producer, its enjoyable for the bottle/label alone!St Feuillien Noel – Clearly Xmas beers are a Belgian thing, this abbey example has a touch of sweetness with dark fruit & spice.St Bernardus Kert – Their regular Abt 12 gets plenty plaudits & this is the christmas version, yummy pudding in a glass!Chouffe N’ice – Apparently the wintery little gnome on the label is responsible for this delicious festive brew.JUST ADDED! Baladin Noel – Festive brew from this unique & at times peculiar producer. Chocolate & fruit spice goodness in liquid form!Schloss Eggenberg Samichalus – This exceedingly rich & malty lager, known as the cognac of beers, weighing in at a hefty 14% abv!Red Hill Christmas Ale – One of the few local breweries to get into the Christmas spirit, styled as a Belgian strong ale.JUST ADDED! Hunter Christmas Beer – Another local hopefully following the trend for dark spiced, festive brews.

When: BOTH Wednesday 15th December 7pm & Sunday 19th December 7pmCost: $30.00 to try ALL beers ($160 value!)+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any beer purchase that nightIF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS ASAP!